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CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Universally Recommended Vaccinations: Client Reminder & Recall Systems

CDC

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Client reminder and recall interventions involve reminding members of a target population that vaccinations are due (reminders) or late (recall). Reminders and recalls differ in content and are delivered by various methods--telephone, letter, postcard, or other. Most reminder systems involve a specific notification for a specific client, and may be accompanied by educational messages regarding the importance of immunization for the targeted vaccine.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends reminder and recall interventions based on strong evidence of effectiveness in improving vaccination coverage:
• In children and adults
• In a range of settings and populations
• When applied at different levels of scale from individual practice settings to entire communities
• Across a range of intervention characteristics (e.g., reminders and recall, content, theoretical basis and method of delivery)
• When used alone or with additional components

Results / Accomplishments

The Task Force finding is based on evidence from a Community Guide systematic review completed in 2008 (19 studies,
search period 1997-2007) combined with more recent evidence (10 studies, search period 2007-2012). Based on the
combined evidence, the Task Force reaffirms its recommendation based on strong evidence of effectiveness.
Included studies showed vaccination rates increased by a median of 11 percentage points.. Client reminder and recall interventions used alone resulted in a median increase of 6
percentage points, and interventions implemented with additional
components led to a median increase of 12 percentage points.

About this Promising Practice

Primary Contact
The Community Guide
1600 Clifton Rd, NE
MS E69
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 498-1827
communityguide@cdc.gov
https://www.thecommunityguide.org/
Topics
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Source
Community Guide Branch Epidemiology and Analysis Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Location
USA
For more details
Target Audience
Children, Adults